MATTHEW 17
THE TRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS + FORETELLING OF HIS DEATH
Peter, James, and John are with Jesus as He is praying on the mountain. As He is praying, the appearance of Jesus and His clothes change and become dazzling white! Jesus is no longer alone, but in the glorious presence of Moses and Elijah. Jesus, Moses, and Elijah speak of the departure of Jesus, which will soon be fulfilled in Jerusalem. Moses is known for delivering God’s law to the Israelites and Elijah was a great prophet who told of the coming of Jesus. These two men exemplify the main messages of the Old Testament, the law, and the prophets, and their connection to Jesus shows His plan to fulfill their message.
During this divine interaction, God speaks, proclaiming “This is my Son, with whom I am well pleased,” the same words spoken over Jesus at His baptism. This miraculous encounter is known as the transfiguration of Christ. Jesus instructs the disciples to remain quiet about what they saw until after His death and resurrection. Jesus explains that John the Baptist was an archetype of the prophet Elijah. Similar to John the Baptist, Jesus would be rejected, persecuted, and killed.
Jesus heals a man with a demon, who the disciples have not been able to heal. After the man is healed, the disciples ask Jesus why they were unable to heal the man. Jesus explains that their lack of faith, not lack of ability, is what prevented them from healing the man. Jesus referenced the mustard seed, a tiny seed that had the potential to grow into a giant tree, telling the disciples that even with a small amount of faith nothing would be impossible for them.
Jesus tells the disciples of His upcoming death, saying that He will suffer and be killed, but will rise from the dead on the third day. Jesus explains that the Son of man will be given over to the hands of men, and the disciples are greatly distressed.
Peter (Simon) was confronted by tax collectors, who were asking if Jesus paid his taxes. As the Creator and Sustainer of everything, Jesus is exempt from paying, but agrees to pay for both Peter and Himself. Matthew, a tax collector, was the only disciple to record this account, possibly because of his personal connection to the subject.
